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Ed Davis, who passed away in May of 1999, was the first American of African descent to become a franchised automobile dealer, starting with Studebaker in 1940; and in 1963, signing on with the Chrysler Corporation.

He was an advisor to the Mayor of Detroit, both before and after, the riots in that city, in 1967. He also won several awards from the NADA (National Auto Dealers Association).

His self-published book is entitled "One Man's Way."

I'd e-mailed Leonard Pitts and asked him to write a column about Mr. Davis. But it doesn't look as if that's going to happen.

Mr. Davis is someone who needs to get more mention in the general press, especially during Black History Month. He was a ground-breaking, courageous man in one of America's most important retailing businesses, related to manufacturing a machine that also changed America.